U.S. patent number 5,572,949 [Application Number 08/393,479] was granted by the patent office on 1996-11-12 for emergency feeder for herbivorous wildlife.
Invention is credited to Walter L. Bryant, Jr., Walter L. Bryant, Sr..
United States Patent |
5,572,949 |
Bryant, Jr. , et
al. |
November 12, 1996 |
Emergency feeder for herbivorous wildlife
Abstract
This invention relates to a new and improved non-corrosive,
vertically suspended, cylindrical shaped grain or feed dispensing
device capable of concentrating its contents directly and
immediately onto the ground without clogging for feeding all
varieties of herbivorous wildlife within their own primitive
habitat during unusual shortages of natural food caused by adverse
weather or environmental conditions. It is of a geometric
camouflage design. Its vertical length is sectional and adjustable.
There are transparent sight areas along its length for checking the
amount of food inside. It dispenses and maintains a constantly
available supply of food directly upon the ground so that the
weight of food inside is vertically supported by the ground. It has
a manually adjustable feature which regulates the flow of food, and
it has a spring-pump, anti-clogging feature which operates with the
random forces of wind, animal, or by other forces which may be
exerted upon it from time to time.
Inventors: |
Bryant, Jr.; Walter L.
(Columbiana, AL), Bryant, Sr.; Walter L. (Columbiana,
AL) |
Family
ID: |
23554857 |
Appl.
No.: |
08/393,479 |
Filed: |
February 24, 1995 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
119/57.91;
D30/127 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A01K
5/0241 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A01K
5/02 (20060101); A01K 5/00 (20060101); A01K
005/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;119/57.91,54,53.5,53,52.2 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Mancene; Gene
Assistant Examiner: Price; Thomas
Claims
We claim:
1. A linear, vertically suspendable, non-corrosive wildlife feeder
consisting of a vertically extended tubular feed reservoir of
uniform exterior vertical contours in size and shape consistent and
uninterrupted in profile by any other constructive features along
its exterior length made up of two or more matching uniform
interchangeable sections joined together internally with joint
inserts and fastened together with removable mechanical fasteners;
having a base component joined internally and mechanically fastened
to the bottom of the lowest said reservoir section with feed outlet
apertures and an incased loosely coiled anti-clog spring component
positioned above and over the feed outlet apertures configured with
a spring leg penetrating downward along the vertical center line of
the feeder through said base component with a hooked bend at the
bitter end with a tether attached linking to an anchor secured into
the ground.
2. The feeder of claim 1, wherein the anti-clog spring component is
housed within the base of the lowest feed reservoir section to
facilitate looseness and maintain consistent distribution of feed
directly and immediately onto the ground underneath said feeder in
responses to random vertical or lateral forces generated against
the body of the feeder by wind, gravity, animal, or by any other
forces or combinations thereof which may come to bear from time to
time.
3. The feeder of claim 1, wherein the linear device is suspended
and secured from two points at opposite ends so as to harness
natural forces applied to the body of the feeder device to work an
anti-clog component for maintaining looseness and flowability of
the feed contents.
4. The feeder of claim 1, the anti-clog spring component, wherein
the mechanism is incased within the feed reservoir with a vertical
leg protracting downward along the vertical centerline of the
feeder and penetrating through a small aperture in the diametric
center of the base component with a hooked or looped bend for
tether attachment at its bitter end.
5. The feeder of claim 1, wherein food is distributed immediately
and directly onto the ground so that the dead load weight and
volume of food within the feeder is borne by the ground itself as
the foods' solitary vertical support.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates primarily to a means by which herbivorous
wildlife may be fed temporarly during harsh winter months when
natural foods within their own primitave habitats reach or approach
starvation conditions.
The Emergency Feeder For Herbivorous Wildlife consists of a highly
camouflage cylindrical shaped food dispensing device designed to be
located primarily in the wild. Unlike other wildlife feeding
devices, this invention is designed to concentrate food directly
onto the ground for all varieties of herbivorous wildlife under
emergency starvation conditions. This invention alluded primarily
to a device consisting of non-corrosive materials, but it is not
confined to that. Unlike other cylindrical feeder devices, the
uniform cylindrical shape of this device is a necessary and vital
embodiment of the design. The device is uniquely suspended
vertically from two points, from a tree limb above or from another
flexible structure in the wild, and it's base is anchored
critically close to the ground below. In that position, the weight
distribution of food within the device is supported by the ground,
and it bears little weight upon the device or upon the structure
from which the device is suspended. The contour of the entire
length of this device is necessarily uniform in size and shape for
enhanced camouflage purposes, and it is divided into identical,
removable reservoir sections for height and volume adjustment. Its
camouflage outer design contains transparent sight inspection areas
along its length to inspect the level of food inside it. With the
help of the random motions of wind, animals, or other forces which
may be exerted upon the device from time to time, either
horizontally (such as by an animal) or vertically (such as by the
uplift of a swaying tree limb), an innovative spring-pump,
anti-clog feature dispenses and maintains a consistent supply of
loose flowing food at its base directly and immediately onto the
ground. It has a manually operated, adjustable food valve which
regulates the flow of food through the device. It can be easily
refilled from the top. It can be shortened, or disassembled for
cleaning or service without tools by removing or reinstalling the
mechanical fasteners of the device which are all uniform and
identical in design. The device is noise-free, requires no
batteries, motors, or electrical devices. It is easily transported
and installed by one person.
All prior non-electric, non-motorized feeder devices were derived
from two basic concepts: One concept functions as an elevated feed
container, hanged from one point, with an outlet and a trigger
component (ie: wind propeller, lever arm, flexable hose, plug,
plunger, etc.) located at the bottom of the container; so when the
trigger component is activated in response to one of either wind
force or animal utilization, fresh feed will dispense. This concept
requires an elevated position above the ground or water to
accommodate animal accessibility to the trigger component beneath
the device, which facilitates broad scattering by the time the feed
reaches the destination during the vending process, which is a
problem for some advanced feed products containing fine grain
mineral supplements. Seven of the fourteen references cited: Prior
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,945,859; 4,270,489; 3,780,701; 3,683,617;
3,515,098; 3,034,480; 2,913,511 are of this basic concept.
The other basic concept functions as a simple feed container which
funnels and dispenses feed densely by means of gravitational force
through an open outlet(s) located along or in the bottom of the
container without a trigger component, directly onto either an
affixed trough/tray component or onto the ground. Those utilizing
or requiring a trough/tray component often required, or were
intended for an elevated position hanged from one point above the
device. The other seven reference cited, prior patent numbers: U.S.
Pat. Nos. 3,083,687; 5,345,892; 5,235,935; 5,195,460; 5,105,765;
4,896,628 and 4,800,844 vary in design but are of this basic
concept utilizing a trough/tray component.
No prior devices of his basic concept were discovered or cited that
vends directly onto the ground since they are typically a one part
contraption homemade of various tubular materials, are very simple,
and have no moving parts. They require rigid attachments to a
stationary object such as a pole or a tree trunk, and they are
ideally suited for concentrating mineral supplements directly onto
the ground and have other functional advantages over those of this
same concept with a trough/tray component. Unfortunately, these
simple devices which dispense feed contents directly onto the
ground lend themselves to clogging. They are limited to, and
require frequent active animal utilization to remove the old,
exposed, and often unfresh feed to initiate new exposure of the
fresh feed contained within. Otherwise, in the absence of frequent
utilization activity, a small portion of feed exposed at the
threshold of the outlet remains motionless and subjected to
rot-causing conditions of nature such as moisture or fermentation,
and insect nesting which causes solidification of the feed near the
ground, and even more so if mineral supplements are included.
Consequently, the remaining fresh feed within may become clogged at
that point rendering the feeder device inoperable as most
herbivorous animals by nature will avoid unfresh, rotten feed.
Past designs of feeders have favored the feeding of specific types
of creatures only: domestic or wild; bird or animal. Most were
created for domestic, non-wild settings. The few feeders which are
created for the wild are not emergency feeders, but feeders for
attracting specific wild animals or birds. They are more cumbersome
to transport and do not dispense fine grained mineral additives
well. They are not designed to blend well with the wild
environment. Each has highly visible geometry, uncamouflaged in
profile when positioned in a wild context regardless of finish; a
pending problem in terms of theft and animal acceptance. They are
more complicated and expensive in design, and they are less
economical to manufacture or purchase. This invention fills the
need to overcome those shortcomings.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,913,511, 2,972,334, 3,638,617, 4,945,859,
4,270,489, 3,515,098, 3,780,701 and 3,034,480, Feeders, are each
vaguely similar in their functions and design. Except for U.S. Pat.
No. 4,270,498 which clamps to an upright surface, they each hang
freely elevated above the ground by a bail or by a rope. They are
each cylindrical in shape. They each vend food from their bottoms
scattering it broadly from above onto the ground or into the water
below. They each are mechanically activated by either wind, animal,
bird, or fish, via a trigger component to vend food, but they each
are designed to feed a specific variety of wildlife only.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,195,460 and 5,105,765 Bird feeders, by Loken, can
each hang by rope or bail from an overhead object of some sort.
They are each cylindrical, they each give access to food
mechanically, but they each are designed to feed birds only
utilizing a trough/tray component above the ground.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,345,892, 5,235,935, 4,896,628, Feeders, are each
elevated above the ground by rope or bail. They each are
cylindrical in shape. They each have multiple feeding stations
located vertically along their cylinder housings. Neither dispenses
food from the bottem or onto the ground, and each are designed to
feed birds only.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,800,844, "Dispensing Device For Food and Water",
attaches to a wall near human habitat. It is primarily a
continuous-feed inverted container over a tray, which meters out
food onto the tray as food from the tray is eaten or removed. Its
design restricts its use primarily to a sheltered environment for
domesticated animals and birds, and to partially tame smaller
wildlife.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,815,679 and 3,083,687 hangs from one point at the
top of above the device and it is mainly cylindrical in shape. They
dispense feed when a bird manipulates the tray at the bottem of the
device, but they are designed to feed birds only and require an
elevated position above the ground.
Historically, the feeding of wildlife within their own natural
habitat during dangerous slack-food periods was confined
technologically to feeding a specific variety of wildlife only,
even if it was done at all. Deer, elk, and other wild creatures
wander into urban areas in search of food when food becomes scarce
within their own natural habitat. Prior to this invention, efforts
to keep wildlife within their own environment during slack-food
periods were not very successful. This invention is designed to
enhance the chances for better results in the future.
ELEMENTS OF THE INVENTION
1. Tether
2. Bail or handle
3. Top cap
4. Feeder reservoir section
5. Joint insert
6. Pump spring
7. Base
8. Bottom disk
9. Hollow rivet
10. Anchor tether
11. Anchor
12. Mechanical fastener
13. Feed or food
14. Tree
15. Device reference numeral
16. Base aperture 1
17. Base aperture 2
18. Bottom disk aperture 1
19. Bottom disk aperture 2
20. Slot
21. Adjustment lever
22. Pump spring leg
23. Bottom disk rivet aperture
24. Rivet aperture
25. Site inspection area
26. Woodland finish
27. The ground (Earth)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an elevation view of the new and improved emergency
wildlife feeder shown suspended in the wild over the limb of a tree
top and anchored into the ground at its base.
FIG. 2 is an exploded isometric view of the objects of the
invention, and their relationship to each other.
FIG. 3 is a partial section view of the feeder reservoir section
with its primary internal and external parts in assembled
position.
FIG. 4 is an elevation view of the base of the device showing
mainly the feed valve arm adjustment slot.
FIG. 5 is a section view of the base of the device showing an
internal elevation view of the feed valve adjustment slot and a
section view of the top half of the adjustable food valve which is
an integral part of the base.
FIG. 6 is a top view of the base shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.
FIG. 7 is an elevated view of the spring which operates as a pump
in the devices final assembly.
FIG. 8 is a top view of bottom disk showing an integrated
adjustment lever and the apertures which function with those
integrated within the base shown in FIGS. 4, 5, and 6, which
together create a valve. The alignment of the two sets of apertures
is adjusted by the lever on the bottom disk shown here, thereby
increasing or decreasing the flow of food through the valve.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This application describes an emergency herbivorous wildlife feeder
device which is of a unique concept. Unlike prior devices, it is
necessarily positioned in the wild suspended vertically from two
points by two secure tethers; one from a tree limb above (or
something similar), and the other from the ground below. The top
tether, like prior devices, elevates the device above but
necessarily very close to the ground. The lower tether uniquely
anchors the device from the ground and functions to transfer the
resistive force generated from random external forces applied
against the body of the device from the ground anchor onto a coiled
pump-spring component incased within the base of the device. The
pump-spring is a one-part component of a different structure and
function than any prior device. It is of such configuration that
feed flows between the coils enroute to the ground. The pump-spring
is unique in that it remains unstressed and only becomes stressed
to absorb tension when force is exerted onto the body, or any part
of the device which responds accordingly by vertical expansion or
compression within the vulnerable areas of the feed contents near
the outlets. The pump-spring serves as an anti-clog feature which
reacts constantly to any applied force from wind, animal, gravity
or rain, generated from any direction and, therefore, facilitates
frequent movement and looseness within the feed contents adjacent
to the outlets to insure flowability and to prevent insect nests.
Furthermore, as the coils are compressed together fresh feed is
forced downward, cleaning the outlets enroute to exposure and
alleviates the prior problem of animal avoidance by down-forcing
the undesirable, unfresh feed aside.
The feed contents is concentrated and made more readily dispensable
immediately and directly onto the ground below in the form of a
dense conical shape mound; constantly accessible for all
herbivorous animals. Due to the feeders close proximity to the
ground, the ground surface actually supports the mound of exposed
feed and the contained column of feed inside; bearing little weight
on the device or the support. The ground surface also terminates
the dispension flow process when the exposed mound of feed enlarges
in volume creating a dam to terminate the vertical flow (a function
of suspension height above the ground.) The dispension process
uniquely resumes in response to either wind, rain, gravity or
animal utilization, (or unlike prior devices, any combination
thereof) when the exposed conical shaped mound of feed on the
ground is altered to facilitate further flow, ie: when food is
removed, when the lower portion of the device is moved laterally in
any direction, when the tree limb sways vertically up-lilting and
flexing the distance between the ground and the base of the feeder,
or when spring pump component reacts to any force applied to the
body of the device. Furthermore, unlike prior trigger actuated
devices requiring an animals' intentional utilization efforts, the
integrity of this device lends itself to be readily reactive to
both intentional and incidental actions as animals unintentionally
nudge the base of the device while consuming the readily exposed
feed.
The Emergency Feeder For Herbivorous Wildlife of the present
invention comprises a vertically extended uniform shaped camouflage
non-corrosive tubular food reservoir having along its length
transparent food inspection sites. It is sectional, and it can be
lengthened or shortened by adding or removing sections of its
length. A removable cap at the top gives access for loading, and an
adjustable valve at the bottem meters the flow of food. The uniform
shape and size of the device along with its close proximity to the
ground allows the food within the device to support itself, solely
by the ground through open apertures relieving stress from both the
device and the structure from which it is suspended. It is of a
geometric woodland, camouflage design for blending into a wild
environment. In position its linear geometry extends from very near
the ground to above normal peripheral vision and appears tree-trunk
like. It is consistent in profile from all directions, thus
geometrically camouflaged and therefore more appealing to wildlife
and less subjected to thievery. It dispenses food directly upon the
ground by the random motions of wind, animal, the force of gravity,
or by any other forces which may be exerted upon it from time to
time, which is desirable for concentrating fine grain mineral feed
supplements densely onto the ground for saturation purposes.
The primary intent of the invention is to provide a more versatile
non-motorized feeder which may be used during slack periods of
scarce food in the wild for the humane emergency feeding of
herbivorous wildlife within their own feeding habitat. Secondly, it
may be used as a feeder for more domesticated creatures within a
less harsh, more domestic setting.
The advantages and objects of this invention will be easier to see
and understand from the enclosed Brief Description of the Drawings,
the enclosed Detailed Description of the Drawings, and the
background of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In FIG. 1, the device 15 is illustrated in a natural and wild
habitat, and it is assembled in its exterior form in three sections
4, each of which can be added or removed using mechanical fasteners
12 in order to adjust its length and its volume. It is anchored 11
close to and from the ground secured by tether 10 to an anti-clog
component within the base 7, and the volume of food 13 upon the
ground and within the device 15 is self-supporting, bearing no
weight upon the device 15 or object 14 to which it is tethered
1.
In FIG. 1, the exterior objects of device 15 are shown and numbered
as follows: Tether 1 is attached to bail 2 which in turn is
attached to feeder reservoir section 4. Top cap 3 covers the shaft.
Tether 1 is suspended over the limb of tree 14. Feeder reservoir
sections 4 are joined together by transparent or non-transparent
joint inserts 5, and secured with mechanical fasteners 12. Base 7
is attached at the bottom of feeder reservoir section 4, and it is
secured with mechanical fasteners 12. The food valve lever 21, an
integral part of bottom disk 8 (shown complete in FIGS. 2 and 8)
extended through its slot 20 in base 7. Tether 10 is attached to
pump-spring leg 22 (see FIGS. 2, 3 and 7) inside base 7, thence to
anchor 11.
In FIGS. 1, the cosmetic exteriors of feeder reservoir sections 4
have a camouflage woodland design 26 with unfinished transparent
sight inspection areas 25 along its length. Each exterior part is
structurally uniform, interchangeable, and matches with the
assembly points of all other exterior parts. In either its
assembled or disassembled form the device is easily portable. It is
noise-free, and it can be easily assembled, serviced or maintained
without tools by one person.
In FIG. 2, the design, shape and positions of the exterior objects
shown assembled in FIG. 1 are in an exploded isometric view,
showing an internal and external view of the various objects and
their relationship to each other.
Tether 1, bail 2, top cap 3, feeder reservoir sections 4, anchor 11
were all sufficiently described previously in detailed descriptions
of FIG. 1, and they need no further describing at this time.
In FIG. 2, base 7 is attached to feeder reservoir section 4 by
inserting base 7 over, or into the bottom of feeder reservoir
section 4, then securing them together with mechanical fasteners
12, or other appropriate devices not shown.
In FIG. 2, the design of base 7 is illustrated in a isometric
exterior and interior view. A integral diametric surface is
integrated within the base which contain two large apertures 16 and
17 on either side of its center, and a small rivet aperture 24 at
the vertical center line. They are stationary within the base 7,
and the apertures 16, 17 and 24 there match with similar apertures
18, 19 and 23 in bottom disk 8. The relative alignment or
unalignment of the apertures of those two surfaces, along with the
adjustment lever 21 on bottom disk 8 function as a valve, referred
to hereafter as the adjustable feed valve.
In FIGS. 2, hollow rivet 9, or other suitable device secures bottom
disk 8 to the bottom of its matching dismetric surface inside base
7. The center shaft of pump-spring leg 22 is positioned into the
top of base 7 and through hollow rivet 9, and the larger diameter
end of pump-spring 6 thus rests upon the top of the integral
dismetric surface inside base 7. Thus positioned, the protruding
end of pump-spring leg 22 is modified or bent in order to form a
light pressure against hollow rivet 9 of the adjustment feed valve.
With pump-spring leg 22 thus modified and resting under slight
pressure against the bottom of hollow rivet 9, anchor tether 10 is
attached to pump-spring leg 22 and anchor 11, and the entire device
15 is anchored slightly taunt and very close to the ground. Refer
now to FIG. 1.
With device 15 properly anchored and secured, spring-pump 6 is free
to flex and expand from any vertical or horizontal force, thus
preventing clogging of food 13 and insuring that it is distributed
freely and loosely upon the ground 27. It is the intent of the
design that it be sufficiently secured in its anchored form so that
it cannot easily be uprooted by any natural forces exerted upon it,
and a functioning prototype of the design has proven that to be so.
It is the primary assumption of the design that generally, motion
will be caused mainly from the flow of wind, the nudge of an
animal, or other natural force which may be exerted against the
device from time to time.
In FIG. 3, a partial section view of the device illustrates more
clearly all objects of the invention there in place with the
exceptions of tether 1, joint insert 5, tree 14, and anchor 11.
The upper part of FIG. 3 illustrates the top objects of device 15
which has been shown and described adequately in FIGS. 1 and 2.
The lower part of FIG. 3 illustrated the lower section of the
device with all objects of the invention secured and in place with
the exception of anchor 11. Base 7 shows a section view of the
integral features of its design. Bottom disk 8 is secured against
the bottom internal surface of base 7 by hollow rivet 9.
Pump-spring 6 rests upon the top internal surface of base 7, and it
is freely affixed therein by the modified or bent center shaft of
pump-spring leg 22 and its position against the bottom of hollow
rivet 9. Mechanical fasteners 12 secure feeder shark section 4 to
base 7, and tether 10 attaches to the modified end of the center
shaft of pump-spring leg 22 and onto anchor 11.
In FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, three different views of the base 7 are shown.
FIG. 4 is an elevation view illustrating the slot 20 through which
the feed valve adjustment lever 21 of bottom disk 8 is placed. FIG.
5 is a section view of base 7 which illustrates more clearly the
integral placement of base apertures 16, 17 and rivet aperture 24
of the adjustable feed valve component. FIG. 6 is a top view of the
same, clearly illustrating the base apertures 16 and 17 which work
in conjunction with matching bottom disc apertures 18 and 19 in
bottom disk 8 to form the adjustable feed valve. Illustrated also
is the smaller rivet aperture 24 at the vertical center line
through which hollow rivet 9 secures base 7 to bottom disk 8, and
through which the shaft of pump spring leg 22 is threaded and
secured against the bottom of hollow rivet 9.
In FIG. 7 the lower end of the center shaft of pump-spring leg 22
is modified or bent as it finally appears as a working component of
the device.
In FIG. 8, bottom of disk 8 is shown in a top view complete with
feed valve adjustment lever 21, bottom disc apertures 18, 19, and
bottom disc rivet aperture 23 as one solid movable part.
It is the intent of the design that all objects of the design be
made of a non-corrosive material, but it is not the intent of the
design that any of the objects be restricted to that type material
only.
* * * * *